Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-11-01
Eox Hunting III Amersca.
I From the New York World


upon rs, and with the gentle fall of The au-
tumn leaf ande the sough Of the scented
breezes about the gnarled and naked limbs
of the wailug trees, the huntsmsn comes
with his hark and his halloo and hurrah,
boys, the swift rush Of the chase, the thri-
iog scamper 'cross country, the mad dash
through the Long Islanders pumpkin patch
also the mad dash, dash, dash of the
farmer. the low moan Of. the disabled and
frozen toed hen as the whooping horsemen
run her down the wild shrek OF the child.
ren, the low, melancholy wall Of the fright
ened shoat as he flies away to the strawpile,
the quick yet thu1lied PUNK Of the frozen
/ tomato and the dull scrunch OF the seed
cucumber
All, all indicate that our great national
autumn sport-the sport which has for years
characterized MS as nation and been imi-
t&ted to some extent in England and our
other colonies-is here.
The huntsman low takes his hannels off
! his tox, rubs his stiaened limbs with garg-
lag oil, ties bunch of frecrackers to his
tail and runs him around the barn few
times TO sec il he is in good order.
! The foXhound is q cross of the blood
hound, the greyhound, the bulldog and the
chump. When you step on his tail he is
said 10 be in full cry. The foxhound OBJ
taiu5 FROM his ancestors on The bloodhound
side Of the house his keen scent, which ena-
bes him while in full cry cross country TO
pause aud hunt for chpmunks. He also cb
taiGs from tho bloodhound branch of his
family wild yearning to star in an "Uncle
F.; Iom" company, anG watch little Eva mean
der up The flumo at 81 pc. week From the
/ greyhound be gets his most miraculous
! speed, which enables him to attain rate Of
velocity SO great that he is unable to pause
/ during TIE excitement Of the chase, fre
quen,ly running so fer during the day that
ii takes :iila q wsel. 10 get back, when, Of
course, all interest has died out. From the
bulldog tho foxhound obtains bis great
tenaeity OF purpose, his deep coDyic-
cious, his quick perceptions, his lows OF home
aud his clinging nature. From the chump
/ the foxhcund gets his high intellectually
and that mental power which enables him
10 Distinguish almost &. y glance the salient
points OF difference between = two.
| yeaI-old steer and 10 dollar bili
| Tire foxhound is about tive feet il height,
! and 120 Of them would be considered al am
pie number for c quiet little fox hunt. Some
hunters think this number inadequate, but
| unless the fox be unusually skittish and
crawl under the barn, 120 foxhOunds ought
! TO 90 enough. The trouble generally s that
! hun ers make too much noise, thus soaring
/ the fox. 20 that he tries to get away from
tham. This necessitates hard riding and
great activity on the part ofthe whippers in.
| Frightening u fox Utmost always results in
| seu6ing him cut of the road and compelling
| horsemer TO stop in order 10 take down g
panel Of fence every little while, in order
| that they may follow the animal. and before
YOU can get the fence up again the owner is
on the GROUND, and after you have made
change with hm and mounted again, the
fox may be nine miles away. Try by all
uaeans to keep your fox in the road!
Ii makes great difference what kind of
fox you use. however. once had fox on
my Pumpkin Butte estate that lasted me
.hres years and / never knew him to shy
or turn out Of the road for anything but a
loaded team. He was the best fox for hunt.
ing purposes that 1 ever had Every spring
would sprinkle him with Scotch snuff and
put him away in TIE bureau till fall. He
would .hen come cut bright and clipper.
He was always ready to enter into the chase
with aiiths chic and embonpoint of regular
KeEasha, and nothing pleased him better
than to be- about eight miles in advance o;
nv Thoroughbred pack in full cry, scamp
erlrg 'cross country, while stretching back
a few miles behind the dogs followed pale
Young man and his fnanceer, each riding q
horse that had sat down too bard on its tai!
nc some time and driven it into his system
about six joints.
Some hunters, who are madly and pas.
sionately devoted TO the sport, leap their
horses over fences, moats, dopjon keeps,
hedges and currant bushes with utter sang
frod and the wild, uufette:ed toct ongsou-
bic OF ~ brass band. Is is one of the most
spirited and touchful ofsiehts 10 see young
fox. hunter going home through the gloam-
ing with full cry in one haud and his pan
creas in the other.
Some like to be in al the death. as it is
called, and it is certainly g iaudabla ambi-
) tion. To see hundred aud twenty dogs
held out against ferocious fox weighing
nine pounds; to see the brave little band OF
dogs and whiDpers in, snd horses with saw
; ed off tails, making up in heroism hatthey
lack il numbers, succeeding at last in rid
ding tic country Of the ferocious brute
which has so long been the acknowledged
foe of tte human race, is indeed q fine sight
We are too apt to regard fox hunting
merely as reiaxstion, g source Of pleasure
aud ;be result Of g desire to do the way peo
ple do in the novels which we steal from tee
English authors: but thia is net all. Te
successfully hunt a fox, to jnmp fences eros;
country lie 81 unruly steer, IS no child:
play To ride ali day on very hot ane
restless saddle, trying to lope while your
horse s trottng, giving your friends goot
gisw Of the country between yourself ant
yorr horse, then leaping stone walls, break
ing your collar bone in four places, pulling
out one eye and leaving it hanging on